DRINKING WATER
GeoTree - First Aqueduct Water Pipeline Rehabilitated With GeoSpray Geopolymer For SDCWA
Critical water tunnels require efficient structural renewal to meet strict shutdown schedules. Certified geopolymer mortar provides a cost-effective, high-strength solution that eliminates groundwater infiltration and improves water quality while ensuring a 70-year service life for essential aqueduct systems.
DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS
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![Operational And Maintenance Benefits Of Portable Flow Instruments]( "Operational And Maintenance Benefits Of Portable Flow Instruments")
Operational And Maintenance Benefits Of Portable Flow InstrumentsAccurate flow measurement is critical for process control and regulatory compliance. Flow meters are essential instruments for water and wastewater facilities, installed at multiple locations throughout entire systems. For the most part, these are permanent installations. However, portable flow instruments prove beneficial in certain situations.
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![GettyImages-157742535 molecule pfas]( "Custom Tank Designs That Actively Manage PFAS Mass Transfer Zone (MTZ) — And Why It Matters More Than Ever")
Custom Tank Designs That Actively Manage PFAS Mass Transfer Zone (MTZ) — And Why It Matters More Than EverAs utilities prepare for the pending 4-ppt PFAS drinking water MCL, many are discovering that legacy lead/lag designs—workhorses for decades when treating contaminants in the ppm and ppb range—simply are not optimized for the parts per trillion-level (ppt) precision PFAS demands.
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![StPaul]( "SPRWS Upgrades To Corrosion-Resistant Zinc-Coated Ductile Iron Water Main")
SPRWS Upgrades To Corrosion-Resistant Zinc-Coated Ductile Iron Water MainIt is no secret that a large portion of the drinking water infrastructure in the United States is near or past its intended design life. Our nation’s water infrastructure needs an overhaul, and the cost of doing so is climbing rapidly. The American Society of Civil Engineering’s 2017 Infrastructure Report Card graded the nation’s drinking water infrastructure a D. According to the American Water Works Association, an estimated $1 trillion is necessary to maintain and expand drinking water service to meet demands over the next 25 years.
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![ERP]( "Revolutionizing Water Loss Management With Actionable ERP")
Revolutionizing Water Loss Management With Actionable ERPWater utilities aiming to reduce their Non-Revenue Water (NRW) rates must first identify the type of water loss they’re facing—whether apparent or real—before allocating resources, fixing issues, and following up to ensure resolution.
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South Mesa Water Co. Improves Customer Service, Conservation And Operational Efficiency With Hot Rod™ From Mueller Systems
Operational efficiency and conservation are increasing in focus among water utilities across the United States, however, they are especially important to Calimesa, Calif.-based South Mesa Water Company.
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![Harmsco At Work: World Class Water Features]( "Harmsco At Work: World Class Water Features …")
Harmsco At Work: World Class Water Features …The facility’s Management Team set a goal to reduce their maintenance and operating expenses by greater than 25%. The Management Team researched filtration options available and determined that the Harmsco® Hurricane® Filtration System would meet or exceed their requirements.
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![City Of Santa Fe Water Division Overhauls And Improves System With BEACON AMA Managed Solution]( "City Of Santa Fe Water Division Overhauls And Improves System With BEACON® Software as a Service (SaaS)")
City Of Santa Fe Water Division Overhauls And Improves System With BEACON® Software as a Service (SaaS)Because of its location in the southwestern U.S., Santa Fe, NM, is known to have a scarce and precious water supply. In 2013, Santa Fe’s Water Division became aware that its drive-by meter reading system was failing. Working with Badger Meter, the city’s Water Division chose to implement the BEACON® Software as a Service (SaaS) managed solution with ORION® Cellular endpoints, as well as E-Series® Ultrasonic meters.
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![UltrasonicMetering]( "Ultrasonic Metering For Small Water Meter Applications")
Ultrasonic Metering For Small Water Meter ApplicationsFor many years, ultrasonic metering has been utilized for large scale liquid and gas measurement. However, it is a relatively new technology for small meter applications — particularly those designed for potable water.
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Prefabricating Plastic Piping For Better Form, Fit, Function, And Financing
Thermoplastic piping systems have long proven their value for certain aspects of chemical and water conveyance at water and wastewater treatment facilities. Maximizing that value by using plastic piping specialists to help engineer and prefabricate the perfect piping designs offers multiple benefits, from pushing the design envelope to optimizing costs and timing. Here are some key factors to consider.
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![gac filters feature]( "How To Reduce Water Usage When Starting Up A Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) System")
How To Reduce Water Usage When Starting Up A Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) SystemThis article aims to help utilities and municipalities to better understand the startup process and offer solutions to reduce the amount of water needed to get GAC filters online.
DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES
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How Activated Carbon Works To Purify Air And Water10/31/2019
The first step is to define the performance limiting factors in the application. For this application, most of the adsorber is used for MTBE adsorption in the ppb concentration range. Adsorption of BTEX, TBA, or humic acids or other total organic carbon (TOC) components are removed by the front end of the column.
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Biofouling Control In Cooling Towers With A Halogen Stabilizer10/22/2020
Biofouling in cooling towers is undesirable because it can reduce heat transfer efficiency, restrict water flow, and accelerate corrosion rates. Of even greater concern is the fact that pathogen growth in cooling towers can lead to disease transmission. Given the favorable growth environment of a cooling tower, these microorganisms can reproduce, proliferate and form complex biofilm communities. Legionella bacteria, which cause Legionnaires’ disease, are one of the greatest concerns from a public health standpoint because infections are often lethal and cooling towers are the most frequently reported non-potable water source of Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks (Llewellyn 2017).
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Application Note: Turbidity Monitoring In Drinking Water Treatment Plants8/30/2005
Turbidity, or the relative clarity of a liquid (in this case drinking water), is caused by the presence of microscopic particles such as clay, silt, or other fine undissolved matter
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Application Bulletin: Reverse Osmosis3/19/2008
Osmosis is the phenomenon of lower dissolved solids in water passing through a semi-permeable membrane into higher dissolved solids water until a near equilibrium is reached
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Take Control Of Your Water Distribution Network With Digitalization And Remote Monitoring5/19/2022
Any process plant constantly generates a high volume of status data. Today, this data can be extracted from the plant, stored, analyzed, and prepared to meet operator needs and lower marginal costs.
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Organics Aren't Invisible: A Guide for Simple Online Monitoring5/13/2019
Control of dissolved organics has been one of the highest priority concerns for most water treatment plants for over 20 years. Organics monitoring is an even more critical issue today in the face of more stringent regulations and concerns around trace organics, emerging contaminants, and even counter-terrorism or water security. Despite the critical need, many plants still rely primarily on turbidity for monitoring and process control.
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Application Note: YSI Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring And The IPSWATCH-EMPACT Program12/28/2005The Ipswich and Parker Rivers watersheds lie only a short distance north of Boston, MA. The first settlements in these watersheds began in the early 1600s. Since that time, residents have relied heavily on the natural resources of the Parker and Ipswich Rivers, their coastal estuaries and Plum Island Sound, which is known as the Great Marsh. This ecosystem has been designated and protected by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC).
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The 'First Line Of Defense' In Protecting Membrane Filters8/9/2019
Multi-element, self-cleaning pretreatment filters optimize membrane filter life and production while minimizing maintenance and downtime.
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Best Practices In Moist And Wet Gas Flow12/20/2021
The Wet Gas MASSter sensor is for use in applications that have a high level of moisture or condensation present in the gas flow stream that cannot otherwise be removed.
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Removal Of PFCs With Activated Carbon12/30/2013
In recent years, various perflorinated chemicals (PFCs) have come under increasing scrutiny due to their presence in the environment, in animals, and in human blood samples. There are two major classes of PFCs: perfluoroalkyl sulfonates such as perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and long chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylates such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA).
DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS
The PTBT4 is a lab-accurate water quality pocket tester that allows you to use your mobile device and the X2 app to measure, store and export data.
Aria FAST mobile water units deliver the water you need, when and where you need it. Our mobile systems are easily installed and produce highquality water in as little as four hours after utility connections are complete.
The unique compact design incorporates the best existing Capital Controls® technology with exciting new features. With just three models ranging from 10-10,000 lbs/day capacity, each chlorinator is available with automatic or manual feed and a 10” flowmeter for an easier read. Sonic operation on the 4100 model eliminates the need for a differential pressure regulator. On all automatic models, an additional controller isn’t needed, reducing components – and costs.
The OPTIFLUX 4100 is an electromagnetic flowmeter (EMF) for a wide range of standard process applications with aggressive and abrasive liquids. It enables reliable flow measurement even under harsh process conditions with temperatures up to +180°C / +356°F, low conductivity (≥5 µS/cm) and solid content (up to 10%). This makes the flowmeter particularly suitable for applications involving corrosive chemicals, sewage and drilling mud or mining sludge. Installation in measurement chambers subject to (constant) flooding is also possible using the optional IP68 / NEMA 6P rated version.
Proprietary Composite Spiral Element. Available in Fiberglass and Netting Wrap configurations. Anti-Telescoping Device (ATD) both ends. Brine seal (one end) - Fiberglass Wrap only.
Endress+Hauser offers a complete assortment of compact thermometers, modular thermometers, thermowells, measurement inserts, transmitters and accessories for all types of process industries such as Oil & Gas, Chemicals, Food & Beverage, Life Sciences, Primaries & Metal, Power & Energy.
LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER
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![wastewater ecological damage-GettyImages-2231956262]( "The Pragmatic Shift In Source Water Protection: Moving From Symptom Management To Root-Cause Accountability")
A shift in how we approach source water protection is long overdue. Currently, we are trapped in a cycle of escalating costs, forced to treat symptoms like algae and invasive weeds expediently with chemicals while the underlying risk in the reservoir compounds. True risk management requires breaking this cycle. -
![River water pollution, Ecological-GettyImages-1215336784]( "The AWWA Said $2.4 Trillion. It Missed The Compound Interest.")
Einstein once said of compound interest, "He who understands it, earns it. He who doesn't, pays it." The same logic of compounding applies to the organic sediment accumulating on the floor of your drinking water reservoir. The longer you wait to address it, the more exponentially expensive it becomes to fix. -
![snowystream-Getty-521971897]( "Winter's Alarmingly Low Snowpack Offers A Glimpse Of The Changing Rhythm Of Water In The Western U.S.")
The April 1 snowpack measurement has long been the single most important number in western water management, considered a strong proxy for how much water the mountains are holding in reserve. But in 2026, that savings account has been woefully deficient. -
![ColoradoRiverDam_Getty-1280300802]( "Why Colorado River Negotiations Stalled, And How They Could Resume With The Possibility Of Agreement")
Why Colorado River Negotiations Stalled, And How They Could Resume With The Possibility Of AgreementThe five most common sources of conflict between people are values, data, relationships, interests, and structure. The current Colorado River negotiations include all five. -
![Water droplets, PFAS, Forever chemical water contamination-GettyImages-2173433890]( "Designing Resilient PFAS Treatment Strategies For Water Agencies")
Water agencies across the U.S. are facing a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that poses a conundrum: Should they take a cautious or aggressive approach to treating PFAS contamination in their water system? -
![Oil spill clean up-GettyImages-1369921282]( "The Future Of In Situ Chemical Oxidation For Targeted Solvent Destruction")
The U.S. EPA’s 2026 trichloroethylene (TCE) compliance deadlines are now forcing a concrete shift toward source-zone destruction. In situ chemical oxidation (ISCO), sequenced with enhanced bioremediation, is proving to be the most credible path to groundwater contaminant rebound mitigation.
DRINKING WATER VIDEOS
Fresh off TrojanUV being named manufacturer of the year by the WateReuse Association, Water Online caught up with Jennifer Muller, Vice President of Global Municipal Sales for TrojanUV at this year’s WEFTEC, to understand how ultra violet systems are being applied in the growing movement towards direct and indirect potable water reuse.
Check out this brief video with Greg, and industry veteran and our Product Manager for Measurement technologies, as he provides a lowdown on the new AWWA Standard covering solid-state meters which are increasingly being adopted by water utilities of all sizes.
ABOUT DRINKING WATER
In most developed countries, drinking water is regulated to ensure that it meets drinking water quality standards. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administers these standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
Drinking water considerations can be divided into three core areas of concern:
- Source water for a community’s drinking water supply
- Drinking water treatment of source water
- Distribution of treated drinking water to consumers
Drinking Water Sources
Source water access is imperative to human survival. Sources may include groundwater from aquifers, surface water from rivers and streams and seawater through a desalination process. Direct or indirect water reuse is also growing in popularity in communities with limited access to sources of traditional surface or groundwater.
Source water scarcity is a growing concern as populations grow and move to warmer, less aqueous climates; climatic changes take place and industrial and agricultural processes compete with the public’s need for water. The scarcity of water supply and water conservation are major focuses of the American Water Works Association.
Drinking Water Treatment
Drinking Water Treatment involves the removal of pathogens and other contaminants from source water in order to make it safe for humans to consume. Treatment of public drinking water is mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. Common examples of contaminants that need to be treated and removed from water before it is considered potable are microorganisms, disinfectants, disinfection byproducts, inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals and radionuclides.
There are a variety of technologies and processes that can be used for contaminant removal and the removal of pathogens to decontaminate or treat water in a drinking water treatment plant before the clean water is pumped into the water distribution system for consumption.
The first stage in treating drinking water is often called pretreatment and involves screens to remove large debris and objects from the water supply. Aeration can also be used in the pretreatment phase. By mixing air and water, unwanted gases and minerals are removed and the water improves in color, taste and odor.
The second stage in the drinking water treatment process involves coagulation and flocculation. A coagulating agent is added to the water which causes suspended particles to stick together into clumps of material called floc. In sedimentation basins, the heavier floc separates from the water supply and sinks to form sludge, allowing the less turbid water to continue through the process.
During the filtration stage, smaller particles not removed by flocculation are removed from the treated water by running the water through a series of filters. Filter media can include sand, granulated carbon or manufactured membranes. Filtration using reverse osmosis membranes is a critical component of removing salt particles where desalination is being used to treat brackish water or seawater into drinking water.
Following filtration, the water is disinfected to kill or disable any microbes or viruses that could make the consumer sick. The most traditional disinfection method for treating drinking water uses chlorine or chloramines. However, new drinking water disinfection methods are constantly coming to market. Two disinfection methods that have been gaining traction use ozone and ultra-violet (UV) light to disinfect the water supply.
Drinking Water Distribution
Drinking water distribution involves the management of flow of the treated water to the consumer. By some estimates, up to 30% of treated water fails to reach the consumer. This water, often called non-revenue water, escapes from the distribution system through leaks in pipelines and joints, and in extreme cases through water main breaks.
A public water authority manages drinking water distribution through a network of pipes, pumps and valves and monitors that flow using flow, level and pressure measurement sensors and equipment.
Water meters and metering systems such as automatic meter reading (AMR) and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) allows a water utility to assess a consumer’s water use and charge them for the correct amount of water they have consumed.